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How did you get that picture?

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Aerial photography for aviation publications and advertising is a highly complex, meticulously planned process that prioritizes safety and involves extensive coordination among photographers, experienced pilots, and manufacturers.
  • Shoots are often conducted during optimal first or last light, utilizing specialized platforms like a B-25 (due to its speed compatibility and open shooting positions) and professional Canon camera equipment.
  • Achieving precise shots requires pilots with formation flying experience, constant communication between the photographer and lead pilot to direct aircraft positioning, despite challenging and disorienting conditions for the photographer.
  • The ultimate goal is to evoke a strong emotional response from viewers, especially for high-stakes advertising campaigns, making it a rewarding and collaborative endeavor that often forms career highlights for those involved.
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One of my early childhood memories from growing up in Southern California is of my dad showing me a litho print of the A4-D Skyhawk in flight that he’d brought home from work at the Douglas Aircraft Company. As I looked at the image, I thought to myself, “How did they get that picture?” never bothering to ask my dad and certainly never considering that decades later I would be immersed in the process.

Have you ever wondered how the aerial photos are taken for the articles and ads you see in Flying? Well, after over 1,000 magazine cover credits, and countless advertising campaigns for OEMs, I can tell you that although my name may appear on the credit line, there are a lot of behind-the-scenes people who helped the images come into being.

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